Democrats plan to zero out wall funding and reduce Border Patrol money amid historic surge
By: Susan Ferrechio (MSN)
Priorities...................suck
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
House Democrats eliminated funding for a southern border wall and denied extra money for Border Patrol officers in a 2022 spending bill unveiled recently that comes amid a massive influx of illegal immigration.
© Provided by Washington Examiner
Nearly 1 million illegal immigrants have been apprehended at the southern border since October, including a near-record 180,000 in May, according to statistics provided last month by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.\
Last week, a House Appropriations subcommittee approved a $52.8 billion measure to fund Homeland Security for fiscal year 2022.
Democrats, who staunchly opposed President Donald Trump's efforts to complete a border wall and build up the border patrol to reduce illegal immigration, say their measure "makes responsible investments in border security."
The bill would add no funding for additional Border Patrol agents or border barriers and would rescind $2.06 billion allocated during the Trump administration for the construction of a border wall.
The measure would slash funding for the U.S. Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which carries apprehends and reports illegal immigrants. The bill would devote more money to programs aimed at processing illegal immigrants in the United States, which would allow them to shorten or avoid detention while seeking asylum.
The measure would dedicate $170 million to build new Integrated Migrant Processing Centers, which are aimed at speeding up processing for illegal immigrant families, and $42 million for the Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, which reviews and investigates complaints against Border and Customs agents, including "violation of rights while in immigration detention or as a subject of immigration enforcement."
The measure would include an additional $10 million for a pilot program providing alternatives to detention for illegal immigrants.
Democrats defended the spending plan in a hearing last week and said they are aimed at protecting children and families who cross into the U.S. and pose no safety risk.
The bill is aimed at reducing enormous backlogs in refugee, asylum, and immigration benefit applications, they said.
"We have included provisions in the bill intended to reduce the over- detention of migrants as they proceed through the immigration adjudication process, if they are not flight risks and pose no threat to public safety or national security," said Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, a California Democrat and chairwoman of the Homeland Security Spending subcommittee, said.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro, a Connecticut Democrat and chairwoman of House Appropriations, said the measure spends money on bolstering security at the nation's ports of entry and protects families and children who enter the U.S. across the southern border.
The measure would spend an additional $155 million on technology aimed at improving security at borders and entry ports and provides $20 million for body-worn cameras for immigration and border officers.
DeLauro touted $3 million in the bill that would pay for childcare for unaccompanied children who have crossed the border in record numbers and $20 million for "migrant processing improvements," which would address "the physical and mental well-being," of migrant families.
Senate Democrats are writing their own Homeland spending bill, and it will have to include more GOP input due to the 60-vote Senate threshold for passing legislation.
Republicans have criticized the Biden administration and Democrats for refusing to bolster border security as thousands of illegal immigrants pour over the border and overwhelm border officials.
Trump traveled to the border last week to denounce President Joe Biden's handling of the surge in illegal immigration and to promote his efforts to build a wall along the 2,000-mile border. He called the Biden administration "incompetent" and in favor of open borders.
Biden halted construction of the wall when he took office, following the lead of House and Senate Democrats who have sought to block money for the construction of any physical barriers along the southern border for years.
Illegal immigration at the border has reached a 21-year high, and polls show voters disapprove of Biden's handling of border security.
A new Harvard/Harris poll showed 80% believe illegal immigration is a serious issue and one that needs more attention from Biden or Vice President Kamala Harris, who Biden appointed to handle the crisis.
The poll found 68% believe signals from Biden's White House are encouraging illegal immigration, and 55% believe that Trump's border-closing policies should have been left in place.
Tags
Who is online
115 visitors
And at the same time that the administration is asking states for help in the law enforcement arena.
Makes all kinds of sense.....................in lib land.
Trump is off topic
Forget the dinner bell. Democrats are switching to an orchestra of dinner gongs. How stupid can they be? Stop funding the border wall; and no increased border patrol. I am sure the drug runners; coyotes; and sex traffickers are laughing their asses off.
Then increase funding to make it easier for illegals to enter the country, receive benefits, report BP abuse (sure illegals never lie about abuse/S), not have to stay in detention centers, and increase the speed of judicial processing. I am sure all of those extra judges will have to be Democratic approved, certified, and far enough left to make Marx seem like a hard core righty.
Those moves are sure to decrease the amount of illegals heading our way./S
Notice that absence of our liberal friends here? Seems strange............or not probably
What liberal friends would those be? I lost all of my Democratic/left leaning friends after Trump won in 2016- even though I campaigned and voted for Gary Johnson. Seems I was a deplorable for not voting for Hillary; and allowing Trump to win.
Funny how those same ex friends suddenly want to be friends again after Biden won; of course a lot of them need money or favors now- so I am back in favor with them. There are many butt hurt former friends that got the grand send off from me. They can find someone else to leech off of.
I think you can be liberal and still support our borders and immigration laws. Some very prominent liberals used to hold that position.
'Used to' being the key words .. moderates are a dieing breed in both parties ... just think Rubio was once part of the 'Gang of Eight'
Why? Why would you do that? Why would you want to?
I just don’t understand the impulse to reduce or ignore enforcement of our borders and immigration laws.
I mean if you want to make it easier for people to come to America and stay legally, I think that’s a good conversation to have. Maybe we can change some laws. But why act like the simple monitoring and control of entry into this country - something every country does - is somehow evil?
How is that determined? At criminal bail hearings, for example, a judge considers whether or not a person is a flight risk. Factors in favor of the defendant are things like home ownership, a job, local family, a previous record of appearing in court when required, no foreign connections they could flee to, etc. It seems to me that most people coming into the country can’t satisfy those factors. Almost all of them could reasonably be considered flight risks.